There are certain achievements that we all hear about and think ’Wow’. At only 31 years of age, Di Gilbert, has spent most of her life enjoying the great outdoors. She is one of a select in-demand guides and climbing instructors, who travel the globe, teaching people how to climb safely and leading teams of enthusiasts to the tops of some of the most treacherous mountains in the world. Oh yes, she just became only the second Scottish women in history to climb Mount Everest.

Gary Fisher, Inside Aberdeenshire

Di Gilbert works full time as an Independent Mountaineering Instructor, based in the Cairngorm National Park. She has never had a proper job and it is unlikely that this will change now.

Di has stood on the bottom of the world without falling off, she has stood on top of the world without suffering from vertigo, she has climbed the world's 7 summits and completed all 282 Munros. In 2016, Di was Expedition Leader with the Adventure Peaks K2 Expedition - the first British Expedition to K2 in 12 years - but success was not to be when an avalanche completely destroyed Camp 3 ending the season sooner than expected.

She has represented Great Britain in the International Ski Mountaineering Federation's World Championships and is a Director of Skimo Scotland, the home of ski mountaineering racing in Scotland.

It took Di, 6,773 days or 18 years, 6 months and 18 days to complete her Munros - somewhat longer and possibly harder than it took her to summit the world's 7 summits.

Di also spent 4 Antarctic seasons based at Patriot Hills, initially as a Guide, before reached the dizzy heights of Field Operations Manager with Antarctic Expeditions & Logistics before finally hanging up her pink sorrel boots and carhartts for the final time in 2007.

In 2015, Di was inducted into the University of Strathclyde's Sports Hall of Fame and awarded an Honorary Full Sporting Blue for showing an outstanding high level of sporting achievement.

Di has finally admitted to bagging the Corbetts and is hoping that it will take less time to complete the Munros.

Having said that she would never go back to Everest, she has finally decided that it would be good to go back and will by leading the 2019 Adventure Peaks Everest Expedition.

When she is at home, the greatest pleasures that allow her time off from the mountains and their ancillary activities are baking cakes and doing the garden - gentle pusuits in contrast to the exhilarating endeavours of this woman.